According to the new U.S Clean Tech Leadership Index, San Diego ranks No. 7 out of 50 cities. America's Finest City also shows the best improvement of any top-raking city over last's year's index. The study was conducted by energy research firm Clean Edge.

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Clean Tech Leadership Index

The rankings were based on several indicators including LEED certified projects, Energy Star buildings, electric vehicles, public transportation, greenhouse gas emissions from large facilities, venture capital investments and clean energy patents.

“In a world that demands business data analytics in assessing performance and predictive modeling, this quantitative report captures this region’s ability to demonstrate its economic vision and clean tech brand,” said Holly Smithson, president and COO of CleanTECH San Diego.

"This comprehensive benchmarking increasingly exerts the region's market gains while serving as a timely guidepost for financiers, policymakers, and companies."

CleanTECH, who's mission is to is to position the region as a global leader in the clean tech economy, says there are more than 800 clean tech companies in the region.

Today, we'll talk about why San Diego has become a hub for the clean tech industry and why the region may be facing competition from south of the border and overseas.

CleanTECH San Diego will also be discussing the state of the clean tech industry during its Showcase series event later this month.